French flyer Frederic Michalak to give Sharks bite against Reds

A FORMER jeans model who thrilled Brisbane fans in the 2003 Rugby World Cup looms as the danger man for the Quade Cooper-less Queensland Reds this Saturday night.

Frenchman Frederic Michalak, 29, will be a key for the Sharks in the elimination final at Suncorp Stadium, after the Durban team's star playmaker Patrick Lambie was ruled out yesterday.

Lambie, a fullback or flyhalf regarded as a 10-year player for the Springboks, has succumbed to an ongoing ankle injury that he aggravated during the Sharks' 34-14 win over the Cheetahs last Sunday.

The Sharks' 24-man quad arrived in Queensland yesterday afternoon and have based themselves on the Gold Coast. The enigmatic Michalak, usually the Sharks' second-choice No.10, is certain to be flyhalf and has an affinity for Brisbane.

Nine years ago, he thrilled a crowd of 40,000 at Suncorp Stadium during the pool stages of the World Cup with a 26-point effort in a win against Fiji.

He finished that World Cup as the second-highest points scorer with 101 points, behind Jonny Wilkinson (113).

If the Sharks lose on Saturday night, it will be his last game for the club, as he plans to return to European rugby.

Francois Steyn has been officially ruled ineligible for post-season matches because he was signed by the Sharks after the April 1 transfer deadline. Lock Pieter-Steph du Toit also has an ankle injury and was omitted from the squad but lock Steven Sykes and prop Tendai Mtawarira both have been passed fit.

The Sharks scraped into the finals after trailing the Cheetahs 6-15 after the first half. But coach John Plumtree said an interrupted week was to blame.

"Bismarck du Plessis's knee flared up; we had to wrap him in cotton wool and our front-row was affected, which was a big strength of ours last week," he said.